The Daughter of the Commandant

"How unlucky we are, excellency," cried the driver; "it is the

bourane."

I put my head out of the kibitka; all was darkness and confusion. The

wind blew with such ferocity that it was difficult not to think it an

animated being.

The snow drifted round and covered us. The horses went at a walk, and

soon stopped altogether.

"Why don't you go on?" I said, impatiently, to the driver.

"But where to?" he replied, getting out of the sledge. "Heaven only

knows where we are now. There is no longer any road, and it is all

dark."

I began to scold him, but Saveliitch took his part.

"Why did you not listen to him?" he said to me, angrily. "You would have

gone back to the post-house; you would have had some tea; you could

have slept till morning; the storm would have blown over, and we should

have started. And why such haste? Had it been to get married, now!"

Saveliitch was right. What was there to do? The snow continued to

fall--a heap was rising around the kibitka. The horses stood

motionless, hanging their heads and shivering from time to time.

The driver walked round them, settling their harness, as if he had

nothing else to do. Saveliitch grumbled. I was looking all round in

hopes of perceiving some indication of a house or a road; but I could

not see anything but the confused whirling of the snowstorm.

All at once I thought I distinguished something black.

"Hullo, driver!" I exclaimed, "what is that black thing over there?"

The driver looked attentively in the direction I was pointing out.

"Heaven only knows, excellency," replied he, resuming his seat.

"It is not a sledge, it is not a tree, and it seems to me that it moves.

It must be a wolf or a man."

I ordered him to move towards the unknown object, which came also to

meet us. In two minutes I saw it was a man, and we met.

"Hey, there, good man," the driver hailed him, "tell us, do you happen

to know the road?"

"This is the road," replied the traveller. "I am on firm ground; but

what the devil good does that do you?"

"Listen, my little peasant," said I to him, "do you know this part of

the country? Can you guide us to some place where we may pass the

night?"

"Do I know this country? Thank heaven," rejoined the stranger, "I have

travelled here, on horse and afoot, far and wide. But just look at this

weather! One cannot keep the road. Better stay here and wait; perhaps

the hurricane will cease and the sky will clear, and we shall find the

road by starlight."

His coolness gave me courage, and I resigned myself to pass the night on

the steppe, commending myself to the care of Providence, when suddenly

the stranger, seating himself on the driver's seat, said-"Grace be to God, there is a house not far off. Turn to the right, and

go on."